Means for automatically balancing rotating masses.



N0. 829,251. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

J. VAN V. BOORAEM. v MEANS FOR AUTOMATIGALLY BALANGING ROTATING MASSES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12. 1906.

ATTORNEYS W/TNESSES.'

UNITED STATES PATET @FFlC JoHN VAN voasr Boorman, or New roar, N. 'it MEANS FR AUTOMATlCALL'Y EBALAhIC'lblfG RTATlNG llllSESc No. eaaaei.

Patented Aug.` 2l., i966.

Application led January 12, 1906. Serial No. 295,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, JOHN VAN VoRsT Boon- AnM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved Means for Automatically Balancing Rotating Masses, of which' the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for automatically balancingrotating masses, such as are found in turbines and other machines and devices, the arran ement being such that an increased speed wit increased eiciency is obtained by bringing the center of gravity of the rotating mass to coincide with the center of revolution of the mass to allow of running the mass at very high speed without causing undue friction and consequent wear, to avoid shocks and jars and consequent loss of energy, and to prevent dismemberment of the mass.

rlhe invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described 'hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part 'of this' specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sideelevation of the improvement, parts being in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view of one of the counter alances,'the section being on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is 'a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation ofa modified form. of the universal suspension for the rotatin mass, and Fig. 5 is a sectional lan view o a modified 4form of counte'rba ance. 1

Rotating pieces of machinery vare generally formed of several or many parts or ap-l pend-ages. Unless all parts opposed in position are' of precisely the same Weight the system is unbalanced. ln practice the condition of a perfect balance among these various =Barts is seldom reached. Triiiing differences ecome important factors when the number of revolutions is largely increased, and while the distance from the center of revolution is a controlling factor even an unbalanced key on the shaft cannot be overlooked.

Under rapid motion in fixed bearings unbalanced bodies absorb much energy,A which tends to impair their running conditions by increasing the wear, etc. ln extreme cases shocks and oscillations are set up, necessitating modulations of speed if danger of rupture is to be avoided and durability sought. The immediate cause of the unbalanced condition is that the center of gravity'of the revolving parts of the apparatusv does not coincide with their center of revolution. As is well known, all masses inrotation seek' under the natural law which controls them to revolve upon their center of gravity. If this-is not permitted, owing to the use of faulty methods, and the body is forced to revolve upon its fixed journals, which do not. coincide with the former, shocks, jars, and loss of energy follow. With my improvement, presently to be described in detail, the above-mentioned defccts are completely overcome by the use of a countcrbalance member capable of shifting under centrifugal force until the center of gravity of the entire rotating mass coincides with. the mechanical center of ,revolution of the mass.

' It is assumed that the body A and the shaft B, as shown in Fig. l, represent the entire revolving portion of the machine to .be balanced, the body A being secured to and rotating with the shaft B and the upper end of the latter being, connected to a universal suspension C of the ball-and-socket type and having its rotating member C in the form of a ball rotating in the socket C2, attached to an overhead beam D. The rotating member C supports the shaft B and is provided with a pulley C3, connected by a belt E with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the rotating member C, and consequently to the shaft B, carrying the body A. @n the 4 shaft B below and above the body Aare arrangedl counterbalances F and F', each formed of a containing member F2 and a shiftable member F3, of which the containing member F2 is in the Aform of a vessel having The shiftable member F3 is in f IKO l. vsumesan eccentric form in case the entire roheavy masses. Fig. 4r, the suspension H is provided with a consequently the member F3 moves against the rim of the containing member F2 and astating mass or lsystem'is unbalanced. Now by the member F3 gradually assuming this eccentric shape it gradually counterbalances the unbalanced rotating mass, so that the Acenter of gravity of the rotating mass finally coincides with the mechanical center of revolution of the rotating mass. The latter is kept in rotation until the member F3, owing to its plastic composition, hardensin the container F2, so that the balance-of the entire rotating mass is maintained even afterthe rotation ceases-that is, is made permanent.

Various means may be employed for hold-A ing the member F3 interlocked with the containing member F2 after" the member has hardened. For instance, as shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 3, lthe rim` of thecontainer F2 mayl be provided at e uidistant points with apertures or pocketsOFt, into which the material formingthemember F3can penetrate, and thus lock the member F3 in place on the member F2; 'I

As shown in Fig. 5, a pair 'of stay-bolts F5;

are secured to the rim of the container F2 at diamet'rcally opposite points to project into the plastic material formingI the member F3;

so that when the material hardensy it is locked in place by the stay-bolts F5. The construction of the suspension C may also be varied, especially when itis desired to balance very For instance, as shown in han er H, adapted to be fastened to an overhea suort andv provided with a spherical bottom l Z, liquid, .and a spherical member H3, vcarrying a pulley H4, connected by belt E with other machinery for rotating the member H3 on counterbalances F and F', located below and above the body A, are necessary. It is obvious that when the axis of unbalanced weight lies at a certain point of the body A it cannot generally be counterbalanced within the same plane of revolution, owing to complications arising with its functions.' if the counterbalance F only is desired, for instance, then there must arise .an unbalanced moment owing to the distance at which the points lie apart. This difference, however, can be removed by the use of a second counterbalance F', so that the unbalanced moments of each counterbalance neutralize each other. The resulting balance can then be as accurate as adapted to contain oil or otherl if the two counterbalances were applied directly in the plane of movement.

In the foregoingdescription use is made of the term entire rotating mass, which includes all theparts rotating-that is, the rotating members of the machine as well as the members of the counterbalancing devices, and it is evident that if any one ofthe parts of the entire rotating mass or system is out of balance the entire rotating mass is unbalanced. As each part is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft B,it is strained eccentrically, thus adding a geometrical displacement to other mechanical ones that may eX- ist. lt is understood that by rotating a suspended unbalanced mass without the use of the counterbalances F and F the lower end of the axis of rotation of the mass describes a circle, owing tothe fact that the centrifugal force of the rotating unbalanced mass causes a bodily movement thereof in a circle. in other words, the center of gravity vof the rotating mass does not coincide with the center of revolution. itfis furtherv understood that when balancing the supposedly unbalanced mass as above described the counterbalanceI of the movable member F3 gradually increases as the speed of the entire rotating mass increases, and the circle in. which the latter travels becomes gradually less and less until the center of gravity of the entire rotating mass coincides with the center of revolution of the entire rotating mass. Thus by the arrangement described a visible means is provided'for recognizing the arrival of the desired result.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Means for balancing rotating masses, comprising a counterbalance rotating with the said mass and having a member capable' of shifting under the influence of centrifugal force until the center of gravity of the rotating mass coincides with the center of rotation of the -mass, said member being provided with fixing means whereby to maintain it in such osition of coincidence.

comprising a plastic counterbalance rotating 4with the mass and shifting its -center of gravity under the 'influence of centrifugal force whereby to coincide with the center of gravity of the mass, and ca able of hardening and becoming fixed where y to maintain 'the coincidence. of said centers. l

3. Means for automatically balancing rotating masses, comprising an axial universal sus ension for the rotating mass, and a counter alance rotatin with Athe said mass a distance from the said suspension, the said counterbalance havin a member of a plastic material shifting un er the infiuence of centrifugal force until the center of gravity of the mass coincides with the center of rotation of' ICO the mass and capable of hardening and becoming fixed to maintain the coincidence of the said centers.

4. Means for automatically balancing rotating masses, comprising an axial universal suspension for the rotating mass, means for rotating the mass at the said sus ension, and a counterbalance rotating With t e said mass a distance from the said suspension, the said counterbalance having a member of a plastic material shifting under the iniiuence of centrifugal force until the center of gravity'of the mass coincides with the center of rotation of the mass and capable of hardenin and becoming fixed to maintain the coincldence of the said centers.

5. Means for automatically balancing rotating masses, comprising a universal suspension for the up er end of the mass, means for rotating the said mass at the suspension, and counterbalances attached to the said mass, each counterbalance comprising a containing member attached to the mass and a member of plastic material capable of hardening and contained in the said containing member, to shift under the influence of centrifugal force until the center of gravityr of themass coincides with the center of revolution of the mass.

6. Means for automatically balancing rotating masses, comprising a universal suspension for the upper end of the mass, means for rotating the said mass at the suspension, counterbalances attached to the said mass at different points, each counterbalance comprising a containing member attached to the mass and a member of plastic material capable of hardening and contained inthe said containing member, to shift under the iniiuence of centrifugal force until the center of gravity of the mass coincides with the center of revolution of the mass, and means for fixing the said counterbalance member of plastic material to its containing member, to maintain the balance.

7. Means for automatically balancing rotating masses, comprising a universal suspension for the upper end of the mass, means for rotating the said mass at the suspension, and counterbalances attached to the said mass at dierent points, each counterbalance having a member capable of shifting under the influence of centrifugal force until the c'enter of gravity of the said mass coincides with the A 9. The herein-described method for counterbalancing a rotating unbalanced mass, consisting in subjecting a plastic material capable of hardening and contained in a receptacle rotating with the said mass to the action of centrifugal force, to balance the said unbalanced mass so that the latters center of gravitycoincideswith the center of rotation of the mass, vthe said material, on hardening, forming a permanent counterbalance for the unbalanced mass.

10. The herein-describedmethod for balancingvk a rotating unbalanced mass, consisting in subjecting a plastic material capable of hardening to rotation with the said mass, to shift the material under the influence of centrifugal force to balance the said unbalanced mass, so that the center of gravity of the rotating mass coincides with the center .of rotation of the mass.

11. The herein-described method forI permanently counterbalancing a rotating unbalanced mass, consisting in rotating a confined plastic material capable of hardening With the said mass, to thus subject the plastic material to the action of centrifugal force- JOHN VAN VORST BGORAEM.

Witnesses: l

ELIZABETH BOORAEM, ALFRED W. BooRAEM.

IOO 

